India has decided to not issue immigration clearance for travel to Iraq for the next one month in view of prevailing uncertain conditions with the jihadi militants on a rampage. Already some forty Indian workers are held hostage near Mosul and efforts to secure their release have not made much headway.

A motor cyclist Subash Jayasinghe, father of one child was shot dead at a police ‘check point’ at Pasyala, Nittambuwa on 11 June 14. The agony of the distraught and devastated father, seen going down in shock on TV , then worshipping the authorities even calling them ‘gentlemen’ (hamuduruwo) and asking for his young son who had done no wrong, moved a shocked, appalled and frightened nation.

Nearly 1300 years ago, Hassan al-Basri (R: may Allah have mercy on him), one of the great saints, scholars and preachers of Islam, was asked: "What is Islam, and who are the Muslims?" He answered: "Islam is in the books, and Muslims are in the tomb."

The Russian Deputy PM Dmitry Rogozin, who is the second high-level foreign dignitary to come here after the Modi government took office last month, has conveyed President Putin’s desire to work with the new Indian leadership.

The unfortunate early exit of England from FIFA World Cup 2014 was truly frustrating for those of us, who had been waiting for four years to witness much better performance from the national team than what we saw in 2010.